Howard barclay



(No Model.) Y A HBARGLAY.

4IIwNINGr BOARD.

No. 555,471'. 'Patented Feb'. 25, 1896. K

Wlgzsses ANDREW E GRAHAM PNQTO-LlmawASmNGTDNC UNITED STATES HOVARD BAROLAY,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF NORTONVILLE, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-'HALF TO lV. M. SNYDER, OF SAME PLACE.

IRONING-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,471, dated February 25, 1896. Application led September 4, 1894. Serial ITox 522,089. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, HOWARD BARCLAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nortonville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Ironing-Board, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in that class of folding ironing-tables in which the ironing-board is supported at each end by a pivoted leg or legs and in which the legs are connected by an inclined brace extending from the top of one set of legs to the other; and the object of the invention is to enable the parts of a folding ironing-board to be readily set up and securely held in operative position, and to provide a device for automatically locking the leg or legs at the free end of the ironing-board or the end at which a garment is inserted thereon, and to enable the legs to be locked as they are brought to a vertical position and to be released. when swung downward for folding.

Another object of the invention is to enable the free end of the ironing-board to be readily raised from the supporting leg or legs for removing or placing a garment on it, and to be lowered and supported on the legs without necessitating the manipulation of a fastening device.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of part-s hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improvements, shown in operative adjustment; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section; Fig. 3, a detail perspective of the jointed brace for one of the legs; Fig. 4, a similar view of the second brace for the remaining leg and showing the springretaining device therefor; Fig. 5, a bottom plan of the iron-support and heating-table; Fig. 6, a bottom plan of the table when folded.

The reference-numeral 1 indicates the board of the table, and this is shaped as ordinarily and provided with the hinges 2, which pivotally connect the board to one arm 3 of each bifurcated upper end of the legs 4. The legs 1L are two in number and are provided with thetwo horizontal braces 5, which extend from one to another and operate to rigidly connect the two, so that they will be forced to move in unison, thereby forming practically one leg.

Pivotally connected to the upper ends of the legs 4, by means of the bolts G, are the beams or rods 7, which are one for each leg and extend downwardly and outwardly to a point which will be in vertical alignmentwith the free end of the board l. These beams form an X-shaped brace and are joined together by the bolt 8 and intermediate block 9. Rigidly secured to the lower and free ends of the rods 7 is the brace-beam l0, which extends transversely and serves to brace and render secure the rods.

1'1 indicates the second leg for the board 1, and this leg operates to support the free end of the board and consists of a bar of round iron bent to form the horizontal portion 12, and having its ends projecting downwardly to the lower ends of the rods '7, to which they are respectively and pivotally connected by means of the horizontally-extending studs 13. This leg is capable of swinging on the studs 13, and in practice will so swing to fold the table.

' A catch 15 is secured by screws or bolts 14 to the lower end of one of the sides of the X- shaped brace. It is automatic in its locking operation and does not require any manipulation by hand in locking and releasing the U-shaped leg, and it is arranged at the upper edge of the side of the X-shaped brace and consists of a single piece of resilient metal. The metal is bent sigmoidally to form a lower indentation or seat, 16, and an upper outwardlyprojecting convexly -curved portion, 17. The U-shaped leg is constructed of round metal to co-operate with the catch to facilitate the operation of the same by presenting to the catch a rounded surface adapted to depress the convexly-curved projecting portion 17 ,and to pass it readily, when sufli- 95 cient pressure is exerted, to enable the leg to be readily folded down upon the X-shaped brace and to be conveniently swung upward into operative position. The convex surface IOO of the leg 1l also conforms to the configuration of the seat 16 of the catch, and when the leg is swung upward it is automatically engaged by the catch and when it is swung downward it is readily released from such engagement.

Secured to the block 9 is the hinge 1S, to which the part 19 of the brace 2O is pivotally connected. The brace 2O consists of two sections 1*.) and 21, joined by the pin 22 and having the stud and recess device applied thereto, whereby the two sections are allowed to swing independently in one direction and are held incapable of such movement in the second direction. Thus it will be seen that the brace 2O will hold the legs 4 vertically when extended, and upon giving the brace a slight push upwardly the legs may be swung inwardly, as shown in Fig. G. The section 2lv is hinged tothe lower brace 5 by means of the hinge 34.

The heating attachment consists of a skeleton frame 24, rigidly secured to the beam 25 of the legs 4, and having the braces 26 secured thereto and extending downwardly to the upper beam of the series 5. Arranged over this frame is the covering 27, which is of sheet metal and operates to form a smooth table upon which the irons are to be seated.

Rigidly secured to the upper beam or brace 5 is the perforated arm 28, the perforation in which is vertically aligned with the opening in the arm 29, secured to the beam 25. Through the openings in these arms the standpipc 30 of the heating apparatus passes and is secured in place by the set-screw 3l. The pipe 30 proceeds downwardly from the arms 2S and 29, and thence bends horizontally and upwardly to a point just under the table 2", where it is provided with the burner 32. The pipe 30 extends above the arm 29 and is provided with the tank 33, by which oil is supplied to the burner.

In the operation of my invention the tank 33 is lled with a suitable oil and the burner 32 started to operating, which will heat table 27. The sad-irons should next be placed on the table and the operation of ironing be performed as usual.

By means of my invention persons may iron without having to leave the vicinity ol the table so as to reach fresh irons, but can readily reach to the heater and get them without any trouble.

To fold the table the brace 20 should be swung on the pin 22 and the legs 4. moved toward rods 7, so that they will lie compactly against the same. The leg 1l should next be pushed down, which will allow the rods 7 to swing toward the board l, thereby folding the table into a compact form. If so desired, the pipe 30 may be moved down in the arms 28 and 29, so that it will occupy less space when the device is folded.

Having described my invention, what I claim is A folding ironing-table comlirising an ironing-board, the pair of legs 4 hinged to one end of the board, the inclined X-shaped brace pivoted to the upper ends of the legs Il, the resilient automatic catch arranged at the upper edge of one side of the X-shaped brace at the lower end thereof and consisting of a single piece of resilient metal bent sigmoidally and forming a curved seat 16 and the conveXly-curved outwardly-projeeting portion 17, the U-shaped leg pivoted to the lower ends of the X-shaped brace and constructed of round metal and adapted to be swung up ward to support the ironing-board and to be swung downward for folding and adapted to be pressed and readily pass the outwardlyprojecting portion of the catch and capable of being automatically locked in its upright position bythe catch and of disengaging itself from the catch without manipulating the latter by hand, and a jointed locking-brace eX- tending from the X-shaped brace to the bottom of the legs 4, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HOWARD BARCLAY. lVitnesses:

L. E. Nici-loris, D. C. Coon. 

